1. A promoter, comprising a sequence of at least 10 contiguous nucleotides of a sequence indicated by SEQ ID No. 1, wherein the promoter has substantially the same promoter activity as or greater than that of the sequence indicated by SEQ ID No. 1.
2. A promoter according to claim 1, wherein the promoter comprises a sequence of at least 10 contiguous nucleotides of a sequence indicated by SEQ ID No. 11, and the promoter has substantially the same promoter activity as or greater than that of the sequence indicated by SEQ ID No. 1.
3. A promoter according to claim 1, wherein the promoter comprises a sequence of at least 10 contiguous nucleotides of a sequence indicated by SEQ ID No. 12, and the promoter has substantially the same promoter activity as or greater than that of the sequence indicated by SEQ ID No. 1.
4. A composition for expressing a desired gene in at least one site of roots and stem apices in plants, the composition comprising:
1) a promoter comprising a sequence of at least 10 contiguous nucleotides of a sequence indicated by SEQ ID No. 1, and the promoter has substantially the same promoter activity as or greater than that of the sequence indicated by SEQ ID No. 1: and
2) the desired gene.
5. A composition according to claim 4, wherein the promoter comprises a sequence of at least 10 contiguous nucleotides of a sequence indicated by SEQ ID No. 11, and the promoter has substantially the same promoter activity as or greater than that of the sequence indicated by SEQ ID No. 1.
6. A composition according to claim 4, wherein the promoter comprises a sequence of at least 10 contiguous nucleotides of a sequence indicated by SEQ ID No. 12, and the promoter has substantially the same promoter activity as or greater than that of the sequence indicated by SEQ ID No. 1.
7. A composition according to claim 4, wherein the plant is a monodotyledon or a dicotyledon.
8. A composition according to claim 4, wherein the plant is a monocotyledon.
9. A composition according to claim 4, wherein the plant is rice, Arabidopsis, maize, wheat, barley, tomato, cucumber, eggplant, potato, lettuce, Japanese radish, or carrot.
10. A composition according to claim 4, wherein the desired gene is a gene encoding at least one polypeptide selected from the group consisting of a polypeptide capable of conferring resistance, a peptide capable of promoting development of roots, and a selective marker for a redifferentiated plant body.
11. A composition according to claim 4, wherein the at least one site of roots and stem apices includes a tip portion of the roots.
12. A composition according to claim 4, wherein the at least one site of roots and stem apices includes a meristem region of a young monocotyledon plant.
13. A composition according to claim 4, wherein the at least one site of roots and stem apices includes a stem apex portion.
14. A plant expression cassette for expressing a desired gene in at least one site of roots and stem apices in plants, the plant expression cassette comprising:
1) a promoter comprising a sequence of at least 10 contiguous nucleotides of a sequence indicated by SEQ ID No. 1, and the promoter has substantially the same promoter activity as or greater than that of the sequence indicated by SEQ ID No. 1; and
2) the desired gene.
15. A plasmid for expressing a desired gene in at least one site of roots and stem apices in plants, the plasmid comprising:
1) a promoter comprising a sequence of at least 10 contiguous nucleotides of a sequence indicated by SEQ ID No. 1, and the promoter has substantially the same promoter activity as or greater than that of the sequence indicated by SEQ ID No. 1; and
2) the desired gene,
wherein the promoter is operably linked to the desired gene.
16. A plant cell adapted to express a desired gene in at least one site of roots and stem apices in plants, the plant cell comprising:
1) a promoter comprising a sequence of at least 10 contiguous nucleotides of a sequence indicated by SEQ ID No. 1, and the promoter has substantially the same promoter activity as or greater than that of the sequence indicated by SEQ ID No. 1; and
2) the desired gene.
17. A plant tissue adapted to express a desired gene in at least one site of roots and stem apices in plants, the plant tissue comprising:
1) a promoter comprising a sequence of at least 10 contiguous nucleotides of a sequence indicated by SEQ ID No. 1, and the promoter has substantially the same promoter activity as or greater than that of the sequence indicated by SEQ ID. No. 1; and
2) the desired gene.
18. A transgenic plant adapted to express a desired gene in at least one site of roots and stem apices in plants, the transgenic plant comprising:
1) a promoter comprising a sequence of at least 10 contiguous nucleotides of a sequence indicated by SEQ ID No. 1, and the promoter has substantially the same promoter activity as or greater than that of the sequence indicated by SEQ ID No. 1; and
2) the desired gene.
19. A plant seed adapted to express a desired gene in at least one site of roots and stem apices in plants, the plant seed comprising:
1) a promoter comprising a sequence of at least 10 contiguous nucleotides of a sequence indicated by SEQ ID No. 1, and the promoter has substantially the same promoter activity as or greater than that of the sequence indicated by SEQ ID No. 1; and
2) the desired gene.
20. A method for expressing a desired gene in at least one site of roots and stem apices in plants, the method comprising:
1) providing the plants with a nucleic acid encoding a promoter comprising a sequence of at least 10 contiguous nucleotides of a sequence indicated by SEQ ID No. 1, and the promoter has substantially the same promoter activity as or greater than that of the sequence indicated by SEQ ID No. 1;
2) providing the plants with a nucleic acid encoding the desired gene; and
3) placing the plants under conditions which permit the promoter to operate.
21. A gene product obtained by a method for expressing a desired,gene in at least one site of roots and stem apices in plants, the method comprising:
1) providing the plants with a nucleic acid encoding a promoter comprising a sequence of at least 10 contiguous nucleotides of a sequence indicated by SEQ ID No. 1, and the promoter has substantially the same promoter activity as or greater than that of the sequence indicated by SEQ ID No. 1;
2) providing the plants with a nucleic acid encoding the desired gene; and
3) placing the plants under conditions which permit the promoter to operate.
22. A method for producing a plant adapted to express a desired gene in at least one site of roots and stem apices, the method comprising:
1) providing a plasmid containing a promoter comprising a sequence of at least 10 contiguous nucleotides of a sequence indicated by SEQ ID No. 1, and the promoter has substantially the same promoter activity as or greater than that of the sequence indicated by SEQ ID No. 1;
2) transforming a plant cell with the plasmid; and
3) culturing the transformed plant cell.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method for controlling a homogeneous charge compression ignition engine including a combustion chamber retaining a piston that compresses a mixture of fuel and oxygen-containing gas to ignite the compressed mixture, in which reciprocation of the piston is converted to rotation of an output shaft, and an intake air temperature adjustor for heating the drawn in oxygen-containing gas andor mixture, the method comprising:
determining the air-fuel ratio or the engine load;
determining whether or not the air-fuel ratio or the engine load is changing in such a manner that there is a possibility of knocking occurring by using a first map or first relationship formula that defines a first range, in which stable homogeneous charge compression ignition operation is enabled, in relation with the air-fuel ratio or engine load and the intake air temperature;
controlling the intake air temperature adjustor to decrease the intake air temperature based on the first map or the first relationship formula when there is a possibility of knocking occurring;
determining whether or not the air-fuel ratio or the engine load is changing in such a manner that there is a possibility of misfires occurring by using the first map or first relationship formula; and
controlling the intake air temperature adjustor to increase the intake air temperature based on the first map or the first relationship formula when there is a possibility of misfires occurring.
2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:
determining whether or not coolant temperature of the engine is greater than a regulated value in a second range and homogeneous charge compression ignition operation is enabled by using a second map or second relationship formula that defines the second range, in which stable homogeneous charge compression ignition operation is enabled, in relation with the coolant temperature and the air-fuel ratio at a certain intake air temperature.
3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:
determining whether or not a required engine speed and engine load are in a third range and homogeneous charge compression ignition operation is enabled by using a third map or third relationship formula that defines the third range, in which stable homogeneous charge compression ignition operation is enabled, in relation with the engine speed and engine load.
4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the homogeneous charge compression ignition engine includes an igniter arranged in the combustion chamber, the method further comprising:
performing spark ignition operation with the igniter when the coolant temperature is lower than the regulated value and homogeneous charge compression ignition operation is disabled.
5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the homogeneous charge compression ignition engine includes an igniter arranged in the combustion chamber, the method further comprising:
performing spark ignition operation with the igniter until the engine becomes warm; and
determining whether or not a required engine speed and engine load are in a second range such that stable homogeneous charge compression ignition operation is enabled by using a second map or second relationship formula that defines the second range, in which stable homogeneous charge compression ignition operation is enabled, in relation with the engine speed and engine load.
6. A homogeneous charge compression ignition engine comprising:
a combustion chamber retaining a piston that compresses a mixture of fuel and oxygen-containing gas to ignite the compressed mixture;
a recognition unit for determining the air-fuel ratio or the engine load;
an intake air temperature adjustor for heating the temperature of the drawn in oxygen-containing gas andor mixture;
a storage device for storing a first map or first relationship formula that defines a first range, in which stable homogeneous charge compression ignition operation is enabled, in relation with the air-fuel ratio or engine load and the intake air temperature; and
a control unit, connected to the recognition unit, the intake air temperature adjustor, and the storage device, for controlling the intake air temperature adjustor to decrease the intake air temperature when the intake air temperature, which corresponds to the air-fuel ratio or engine load determined by the recognition unit, becomes greater than an upper limit value of the first range and for controlling the intake air temperature adjustor to increase the intake air temperature when the intake air temperature becomes less than a lower upper limit value of the first range.
7. The homogeneous charge compression ignition engine according to claim 6, wherein the first range of the first map has a boundary that is set taking into consideration a safety margin.
8. The homogeneous charge compression ignition engine according to claim 7, wherein the safety margin is set to 10% of the range of the intake air temperature corresponding to an air-fuel ratio or engine load.
9. The homogeneous charge compression ignition engine according to claim 6, wherein:
the storage device stores a second map or second relationship formula that defines a second range, in which stable homogeneous charge compression ignition operation is enabled, in relation with the coolant temperature and the air-fuel ratio at a certain intake air temperature; and
the control unit determines whether or not the coolant temperature is greater than a regulated value, based on the second range, and homogeneous charge compression ignition operation is enabled.
10. The homogeneous charge compression ignition engine according to claim 9, wherein:
the storage device stores a third map or third relationship formula that defines a third range, in which stable homogeneous charge compression ignition operation is enabled, in relation with the engine speed and engine load; and
the control unit determines whether or not a required engine speed and engine load are in the third range and homogeneous charge compression ignition operation is enabled.
11. The homogeneous charge compression ignition engine according to claim 9, further comprising:
an igniter arranged in the combustion chamber, wherein the control unit performs spark ignition operation with the igniter when the coolant temperature is lower than the regulated value and homogeneous charge compression ignition operation is disabled.
12. The homogeneous charge compression ignition engine according to claim 6, wherein the storage device stores a second map or second relationship formula that defines a second range, in which stable homogeneous charge compression ignition operation is enabled, in relation with the engine speed and engine load, the engine further comprising:
an igniter arranged in the combustion chamber, wherein the control unit performs spark ignition operation with the igniter until the engine becomes warm, and determines whether or not a required engine speed and engine load are in the second range and homogeneous charge compression ignition operation is enabled after the engine becomes warm.
13. The homogeneous charge compression ignition engine according to claim 6, wherein the engine includes engine coolant and engine oil and generates exhaust gas through compression ignition, the intake air temperature adjustor including a heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the intake air and at least one of the exhaust gas, the engine coolant, and the engine oil.